Family Research Council deluding itself, spinning lies about Trump's disastrous ban

Family Research Council's Tony Perkins

This afternoon featured more incompetence from Donald Trump and chaos over his tweeted ban of transgender men and women serving in the military.

And one fact came into focus. It was something we all suspected and now it is official. When Trump tweeted that he consulted with generals and military experts before the ban, he was lying through his teeth.

You don't have to believe my word.

According to CNN:

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, including chairman General Joseph Dunford, were not aware President Donald Trump planned to tweet a ban on transgender service members, three US defense officials told CNN -- the latest indication that top military leaders across all four service branches were blindsided by the President's announcement. For now, Dunford has informed service members that there will be "no modifications to the current policy until the President's direction has been received by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary has issued implementation guidelines." "In the meantime, we will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect," Dunford wrote in a memo to the military that was obtained by CNN. "As importantly, given the current fight and the challenges we face, we will all remain focused on accomplishing our assigned missions."

You read that last part right. For now, there will be no ban.

Politico reiterated this point:

Dunford's message was seconded later in the day by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis' chief spokeswoman. "The Department of Defense is awaiting formal guidance from the White House as a follow-up to the commander in chief's announcement on military service by transgender personnel," Dana White said. "We will provide detailed guidance to the department in the near future for how this policy change will be implemented. "ThedDepartment will continue to focus on our mission of defending our nation and ongoing operations against our foes, while ensuring all service members are treated with respect," she added. The Pentagon's position underscored how the military, like legal experts, does not consider the president's social media pronouncements policy.

That's the real world. In the fake world created by the religious right, groups like the Family Research Council continue to make Trump look like the second coming of John Wayne while omitting his incredible incompetence.


FRC president Tony Perkins wrote the following:

When the president ordered a halt to the Obama era transgender military policy, it was the first time in years that Americans got a glimpse of a Republican who wasn't content to push pause on radically liberal policy of his predecessor. Instead, he hit rewind. Unmoved by the media's backlash or the Left's hysteria, Trump did what he said he would: put the military's focus where it belongs. Yesterday's decision to free the troops from the shackles of the Obama years was just the latest chapter in a story of bold strokes. But it came with a familiar price. The media, who's used to hearing the GOP talk about values (but rarely have the stomach to act on them), was overwrought. After all, they aren't used to politicians who can't be cowed by the usual LGBT threats. Headlines warned of lawsuits, protests, and even a Democratic campaign to overrule him. Others, like Newsweek, are blaming FRC for its influence in the White House. But President Trump, who's taken more negative press than any man in his job, was unconcerned. He knows the press will attack him no matter what he does, so he might as well do what's in the best interest of national security. And, like us, the White House is quite aware that they have the backing of more important people: voters.

In addition to omitting what the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, Perkins also inaccurately claims that the anger over Trump's action is the result of "media backlash" and "left hysteria."  He failed to mention how many Republicans, including Sens. Joni Ernst, Orrin Hatch, and John McCain, have criticized the ban.

Bottom line - Trump made a monumental error in policy and protocol. He has shown himself to be an addle-minded boob not fit for a doghouse, let alone the White House. And no amount of sugarcoating is going to cover that up.

But it looks like the Family Research Council is going to allow him to drag them down with his sinking ship. And I'm all for that.